Design Rangers Camp Blog

On August 1, 2009 (we remember the exact date because it was Jenny’s birthday) we took a trip up to a Parade of Homes House outside of Cripple Creek (near Evergreen Station for those of you in the know). Chris’ parents had raved and raved about this house and insisted we go see it. We walked into the Starlite Kibanda, our mouths dropped open and we instantly knew we had just walked into our dream home. It was there that we met, and got to know a little bit about, the amazing Doug Allen of Allentown Homes. Doug’s energy and passion for his work was immediately visible, we talked with him about the house and he showed us many of the funky cool custom touches. We left with a brochure and a business card, dreaming of living in the Starlite Kibanda or having Allentown Homes build us a custom home of our own someday. (more…)

Chef Corey Wilson has been a friend of the Design Rangers for many, many years. I worked with him a whole lifetime ago at the Stagecoach Inn, and Chris and I would run into him occasionally at the Blue Star (as he was responsible for creating thousands of fabulous menu items). Most recently, we kept seeing him in the produce section at our local King Soopers. We knew he was up to something, as at each of our run-ins with him he weighed less (and less) and seemed happier (and happier). (more…)

What is the role of design in marketing?

Design can be used to enhance the visual appeal of a product or service. It can be used to organize complex information or give meaning to abstract concepts. Sometimes design is used to make a bold statement or to evoke a specific emotion.

Design can do all of those things and more, but the underlying quality always remains the same — to strengthen clear communication.

When USA Cycling approached us with the opportunity to design their High Performance Plan (HPP) presentation, clear communication was the driving force behind the entire project. The HPP weighs in at around 135 pages of information ranging from high-level to technical, broken into 15 sections. We were told that the bulk of the content had changed little from year to year. Our challenge? To make it easy for the reader to digest and quickly grasp the key concepts within the plan. Past attempts had been too busy and not consistent with the USA Cycling brand.

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Sometimes the end result of a design project is a single, focused piece for a specific use – a brochure, trade show signage, an infographic, etc. But sometimes, the final deliverable is just a jumping-off point to allow a design to take on a life of its own.

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